Wildlife Watching Wednesday: Winter Bald Eagles

By: Tom Berg

It is mid-winter, and many of our summer birds have migrated south to Central and South America. But one particularly interesting species of bird has migrated from more northern climates to where we are in the central United States: the bald eagle. Large numbers of bald eagles spend their summers in northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and Canada. But when lakes and rivers up north freeze solid, these birds fly south.

Bald eagles are large birds which are easy to identify. An adult eagle’s feathers are dark brown, with the exception of the white feathers on their head and tail. Their eyes, beak and feet are yellow.  Immature eagles lack the white head and tail. Bald eagles stand three feet tall and can have a wingspan of more than seven feet, so they are a very large bird, indeed.

Like some other birds, bald eagles usually mate for life. Once they get their adult plumage (at 3 to 5 years of age), they search for a mate. Courtship displays often include talon clasping in mid-flight, where they grab each other’s talons and cartwheel towards the ground. They always release each other before getting too close to the ground, but it is exciting to see.

Although bald eagles eat many types of meat, fish makes up the majority of their diet. They are very skilled in flying over bodies of water and snatching a fish right out of the water with their talons during flight. During freezing weather, eagles will roost in trees along the shores of major waterways to hunt for fish. The moving water of these rivers and flowages often keeps the ice at bay.

To view eagles in the Midwest during the winter, look for open water. As mentioned above, rivers and other flowing waters stay unfrozen the longest, so they are the hotspots. The Mississippi River, the Ohio River and the Wabash River are just a couple of the places where they can be seen. Coastal areas that are a bit warmer are also good places to view them. Make plans for a winter road trip to see some eagles for yourself!

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